NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms

The NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms features 7,804 terms related
to cancer and medicine.

Browse the dictionary by selecting a letter of the alphabet or by entering a cancer-related
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A type of treatment that uses substances made from living organisms to treat disease. These substances may occur naturally in the body or may be made in the laboratory. Some biotherapies stimulate or suppress the immune system to help the body fight cancer, infection, and other diseases. Other biotherapies attack specific cancer cells, which may help keep them from growing or kill them. They may also lessen certain side effects caused by some cancer treatments. Types of biotherapy include immunotherapy (such as vaccines, cytokines, and some antibodies), gene therapy, and some targeted therapies. Also called biological response modifier therapy, biological therapy, and BRM therapy.